


The Darkest of Hearts

by ohdaenerys



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohdaenerys/pseuds/ohdaenerys
Summary: What started off as an afternoon searching for supplies quickly led to an ultimate nightmare for both Evangeline and Hancock. Not only did one of the Commonwealth's worst creatures come after them, but soon after Evangeline found herself in the hands of a group of raiders whose leader has some unfinished business with Hancock...
Relationships: John Hancock/Female Sole Survivor, John Hancock/Sole Survivor (Fallout)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	The Darkest of Hearts

Evangeline walked through the outskirts of Boston with Hancock at her heels, for what seemed like hours. Her legs were beginning to ache from all the walking they had been doing, but she knew they couldn’t rest… not yet. They were desperately low on supplies and were searching the confines of every abandoned building that looked promising – which none were as they appeared.

They had just left an old pharmacy that held nothing of interest as it had already been picked over. Evangeline assumed it had been scavengers or maybe raiders but wasn’t sure. Looking over her shoulder to see if her ghoulish lover was still there, she noticed that Hancock was watching her with keen interest.

“I do hope you are enjoying the view back there,” Evangeline teased lightly, knowing fully well that the only reason Hancock preferred walking behind her was to look at her ass.

“Ah, well, you know me, love. I do enjoy a good view now and then… even if this one is quite the distraction,” Hancock replied, as the slightest notion of a smirk appeared on his lips.

Evangeline couldn’t help but laugh, “And to think I thought you loved me for my endearing personality.”

Catching up with her, Hancock wrapped his arm around Evangeline as he pulled her in close to him. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him as he leaned in and kissed her. “Evie, you know well enough that there’s not a part of you that I don’t love.”

Evangeline smiled as she knew how right he was. Hancock loved everything about her – broken pieces and all.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of cedarwood and gunpowder from the red frock that he wore daily. “I know, and that’s what I love about you, Hancock.”

They walked entwined in each other's arms for some time when Evangeline felt his body tense, pulling her in tighter as if to protect her from some unknown enemy.

“Hancock, what is it?” Evangeline asked, her voice etched with concern as she lifted her head to look at the person in question.

“We’re being followed,” he answered, in a low voice, for only her to hear.

She didn’t know what to make of his sudden change in behavior. She hadn’t seen a single form of life all day, but then her attention had been elsewhere and not where it should have been.

“By who… or _what_ , are we being followed by?” Evangeline asked, her voice matching his.

She was about to look around to see what it was that was following them, when Hancock stopped her by saying, “Don’t make any sudden moves, Evie.”

That’s when Evangeline knew precisely what was following them – or hunting them for that matter.

“It’s a deathclaw, isn’t it?” She asked as more of a statement than a question. “We’re being hunted by some reptile from the depths of hell, and we don’t have the resources to even deal with the likes of it!”

She knew that they were fucked… completely and utterly fucked. 

Evangeline also knew that their best option was to get inside one of these buildings and lay low for a while, but all the ones she saw were all boarded up. And they didn’t have the amount of time needed to even make the slightest attempt at prying the boards off.

“Evie, look at me,” Hancock said reassuringly, as she looked up at him. “We’re going to be fine, you got it?”

She let out a shaky breath, “Yeah, got it, but how are we—”

Before Evangeline could finish, a low, guttural sound came from behind them. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as they both froze in place.

Ever so slowly, she looked over her shoulder and saw the hellish beast staring at them a few miles back. It’s piercing yellow eyes watched them with thick, intense hunger. Sniffing the air, the deathclaw let out a blood-curdling roar that echoed throughout the streets of Boston and rushed towards them with inhuman speed.

“Run!” Evangeline yelled as she grabbed ahold of Hancock’s arm and dragged him along with her.

\-------------------------------------------

Wincing from the pain, Evangeline swore under her breath as Hancock eased her onto a couch that had seen better years. After their run-in with the deathclaw, he found an old apartment building that looked secure enough to lay low in until the beast wandered off.

The pain was unbearable, of course. A broken leg, along with a few bruised ribs, was no laughing matter, and walking was entirely out of the question. Not that they were in any hurry to go anywhere, that is.

She wanted to cry, to scream, to just let it all out as if she were a dam ready to burst. Not because of the pain, but because it was her fault. If only she had been more alert, more aware of her surroundings. Instead, she had let her guard down and almost got them killed because of it. Almost got _him_ killed.

She watched as Hancock propped her broken leg on an old pillow, careful not to cause any more pain than necessary. Evangeline was thankful that he at least got away with nothing but a few scrapes and bruises.

_If something had happened to him…_

Evangeline could not comprehend what she would do if such a thing happened. If anything, she would become a creature mad with grief and despair. It would be as if the sun itself had shined its last beaming light and left the world in complete darkness.

“Hancock...” she gasped, barely audible that it sounded more like a whisper. It pained her to breathe, let alone speak, but she needed to tell him that it wasn’t his fault they were in this situation. It was hers and hers alone.

“Quiet love, you need to rest now,” Hancock said, with such softness that she had not thought possible. He had given her some stimpaks he had found to deal with the broken bones, but those only work so fast when it’s more than just a flesh wound.

Evangeline gave a slight nod in response, as she was in no shape to argue with him. That, and she knew he was right, of course. The only thing she could now is rest, but knew all too well that sleep would not come easy with the adrenaline still coursing through her veins, along with the neverending pain. Instead, Evangeline closed her eyes while she waited for the exhaustion to consume her.

While she lay there, Evangeline could hear footsteps as Hancock walked about the room. Eventually, they became fainter and fainter until they came to a halt. She could picture him underneath the archway of the room as he watched her.

“I’ll be back soon. I’m going to see if there are any supplies in this dump—and to make sure it’s empty,” Hancock said. She could hear the crack in his voice as he spoke as if all the control he had was beginning to break. “I’m sorry, Evie.”

Evangeline listened as his footfalls disappeared into silence. She was now alone and absolutely miserable. It was one thing to be in physical pain, but when it became more than that, it was unbearable. She hated that Hancock blamed himself for this when the only person that should be at fault was her.

As she lay there with nothing but the sound of silence, it was then that a whisper of a voice spoke from somewhere within the back of her mind.

_He’s never coming back._

Realizing that sleep was never going to come, Evangeline looked at her pipboy, noticing that an hour had passed since Hancock had left. The place must be quite large if it was taking him so long, she figured. Surely, he would never…

_Just like your father, and everyone else in your pathetic life, he will abandon you._

She shook her head, in hopes that it would make the voice go away. Hancock wasn’t like her father, Evangeline knew that. Her father was a miserable drunk who wished his own daughter had never been born. In truth, she didn’t know whether _father_ was the correct word for him. Would a father leave his own child alone to go whoring around while getting shitfaced? Would they scream at them and make them feel as if they did not deserve to be loved. Evangeline didn’t know the answer, however. She didn’t even know what it was like to have a real father. Besides, unlike that whoremongering fool, Hancock appreciated her, _and_ he loved her.

_Love? Why would he love someone as useless as you? You’re nothing._

“Stop...just stop,” Evangeline begged, while she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears in hopes it would block out the unpleasant voice.

Evangeline didn’t know whether she was going mad or if she just lost too much blood. Perhaps it was both? Needless to say, she wanted it all to stop. Once Hancock gets back, she knew everything would be okay… everything would be—

Just then, she heard the front door click open. Evangeline prayed it was Hancock, though she wasn’t sure how he had gotten outside without her noticing. Unless there was some other way out? She didn’t know. Looking closer, however, she noticed there were five silhouettes in front of the doorway instead of one. Her gut twisted into a knot. Evangeline tried to make out who they were, but it was too dark to see any details that would identify the intruders.

The group was obnoxiously loud and slightly intoxicated by the way they moved about. She could make out what they were saying, though a lot of it didn’t make sense. What did make sense, however, was that this group had hit a caravan not too far from here. That set Evangeline at unease as there was just one group of humanoid gangs that did such things. _Raiders._ And this, she assumed, was one of their hideouts, which only meant…

 _Oh, please let him be okay._ Evangeline prayed that wherever Hancock was that he was okay and out of harm's way. It was typical of her, of course, to put the safety of others before her own. She knew Hancock was more than capable of handling himself in a fight. Still, it didn’t stop her from worrying about him nevertheless. Besides, Evangeline was the most vulnerable out of the two, and yet she would rather see him safe and unharmed than her own self.

Watching the group silently from where she lay, Evangeline dared not move in fear that one would notice her. She knew all too well what would happen if she was found out, especially when she was a woman who was unable to fight back. A chill coursed through her. She offered a prayer to whatever high authority was listening in hopes that they would make the raiders move on without noticing the injured woman lying on the couch not far from where they stood.

As if in answer, the raiders continued past the room and further into the building. All but one, however. The one who stayed behind seemed as if they were looking right at Evangeline, but she knew that was impossible. It was too dark for anyone to see her? How could he possibly—and that’s when she realized the light on her pipboy was blinking.

_Fuck._

The raider stopped short of where Evangeline was, close enough to make out some features. One of which was the wicked smile that he wore, which made her skin crawl. Slowly, she reached for the shotgun that lay beside her, out of view for those who dared to try anything if the need would arise. While doing so, Evangeline kept her eyes locked on the raider, never letting him out of her sight.

“Well, well, well… looks like today just keeps getting better an’ better,” the raider said, making an incomprehensible sound that she assumed was a laugh. “And here I figured I’d be gettin’ piss drunk and jerkin’ off alone tonight.”

“I hate to break it to you, asshole,” Evangeline managed, trying to hide every ounce of pain as she spoke. “but you’re wasting your breath if you think tonight’s going to be any different.”

The raider's face twisted in what looked like a scowl. Evangeline wanted to laugh at the foolishness this man presented. If he thought she would fall upon her knees and beg for mercy, then he was in for one hell of a surprise. The raider’s mouth gapped, as if he were about to speak, but was interrupted by another voice instead.

“Damnit, Tommy! C’mon, the boss is waitin’ for us!” the voice called out. “You know what’ll happen if we’re late!”

“Hold the fuck on!” the raider, whose name was Tommy answered back.

Moments later, a silhouette appeared in the doorway. Evangeline assumed they were the owner of the voice that she had just heard.

“Tommy? What the fuck are you doing—” he started but stopped short once he noticed Evangeline where she lay.

Once close enough, she noticed a gruesome facial scar that ran across his right cheek—almost identical to the one she bore. It made her shudder as it reminded Evangeline of something terrible that happened in her past life.

“Well, shit, Tommy. Where’d ya find this one?” the raider questioned his friend as he gave him a pat on the back. “The boss’ll give us double—no _triple_ the number of caps when we hand _her_ over.”

Evangeline looked over at the other raider—Tommy. He didn’t seem all too pleased about the fact that their conversation had been interrupted. For what it appeared, Tommy figured he would have her as his own and his alone. Nevertheless, Evangeline hated the idea of being looked at as if she were some big prize that would fill their pockets.

“Why would the boss do such a thing for some vaultie?” Tommy asked with a touch of confusion in the tone of his voice. “She ain’t nothin’ special.”

“ _Nothin’ special?_ Tommy, I wish you’d use that there damn noggin’ of yours sometimes,” the raider with the scar said, smacking his friend upside the head. “That there’s not just _any_ vaultie, but the woman out of time herself. She’s the one that’s been pissin’ the boss off.”

 _The woman out of time._ God, she hated that, why was it that whenever someone referred to her– it was always that horrid title. Why couldn’t it be something regarding her being a sole survivor? At least that would have more of a ring to it…

“Hate to ruin your moment, but I’m not about to be handed over as if I’m some fucking prize,” Evangeline sneered while aiming her shotgun at the two men.

Snapping their attention back to Evangeline, both men held a different facial expression regarding the situation they were now in. Tommy, who wasn’t all too bright in the head, looked entirely taken aback by the gun, pointed at him. The other, however, had a grin spread across his face, which made the scar look all the more gruesome, as his eyes were alight with mischief. Evangeline noted to kill him first if the need should arise.

“Oh, by all means, you are one _hell_ of a prize, sweetheart,” the raider remarked while looking her over his eyes eventually landed on her leg that was propped up – which evidently pleased him all too well. “Besides, I don’t see you runnin’ anytime soon.”

Evangeline knew the act was up. They knew she was injured, and there was no point in trying to convince them otherwise.

“No, I don’t see that either,” Evangeline simply stated, all while cocking her gun. “but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of blowing your fucking brains out—now does it?”

The raider—whose name she had not yet learned, merely laughed. Evangeline had not expected the outburst, nor did his friend she realized. Tommy, the other raider, looked just as confused as herself.

“What the fuck is so funny?” Evangeline questioned, keeping her voice firm, all while not taking her eyes off either of the two.

“Nothing’s funny, sweetheart.” The man responded with a shit-eating-grin that spread across his face. “Just thinkin’ about how we’re gonna be swimmin’ in caps once we give ya to the boss.”

“I told you I’m not— ” Evangeline sneered, but was soon cut off as someone had struck her with a foreign object.

As her world erupted into complete darkness, Evangeline was dragged off by Tommy and his companions, one of which had struck her with a blunt forced object from behind, further into the building—which would make it all the harder to escape for both herself and Hancock.

\-------------------------------------------

Evangeline woke with a pounding headache as she found herself not only tied to a chair but gagged as well. Her vision was blurry at first—but soon cleared up as she took in her surroundings. The room itself was mid-sized and appeared to be some sort of office. In front of her was a large oak desk with a terminal and other miscellaneous items— behind it, however, was the silhouette of a man who kept his back facing her.

“It seems our sleeping beauty has finally awakened from her slumber,” the man said, with a rich, calm voice that carried throughout the room. “Any longer, and I may have considered you food for the ferals.”

The room was dark, save for a couple of lit candles that illuminated small areas. Evangeline could not make out the details of the mysterious man— which she assumed was the one the in charge, other than he was tall with a slender build. Evangeline knew it was wise to stay calm in this sort of situation. Still, it was nearly impossible to keep a clear mind while she was at the mercy of him, and there was still no sign of Hancock. She feared that something had happened to him.

“Now, you’re probably wondering why I haven’t let my men have their fun with you,” the man said as he walked around to the front of the desk. “You see, you’re a valuable asset to me alive and unscathed.”

Evangeline kept her eyes trained on him as he made his way towards her—heart pounding as he came closer with every step. She made an attempt to try and loosen the bonds around her wrists, which had proven useless as they were on so tight that they were rubbing the skin raw instead.

“You see, my dear. My men and I here are in a sort of a… _predicament_ ,” he continued while choosing his words carefully. “We’re currently in desperate need of supplies, and I hear a certain mayor is very… _fond_ of you _.”_

_Hancock._

It was as if she had taken a blow to the gut. They wished to use her as leverage to get to Hancock. With Evangeline in their grasp, they could force him to do whatever they desired. She wanted to scream. To let them know that he would never fall for their ploy, that he would instead save his own skin than her own. However, she knew it would all be to no avail, as it would be all lies escaping her lips. Evangeline knew Hancock would agree to whatever terms to put on the table if it meant that it would keep her safe.

“You know, there is one thing I could never wrap my head around,” her captor said coolly as he brushed a loose hair behind Evangeline’s ear, causing her stomach to lurch from the touch. “How did a beautiful creature such as yourself end up with a _freak?”_

Evangeline noticed the way his lip curled in this last bit as if the word itself left a foul taste within his mouth. She wondered if there was some sort of bad history between the two, or if he was just another narrow-minded scumbag. Even after the destruction of the world, people seemed to be just as prejudiced as they were before the war. Except for this time—instead of skin color, it was what they were. Whether it be ghoul or synth.

The mysterious man was close enough that Evangeline could make out some of the details of his features. She noticed, to her surprise, that he was actually quite handsome compared to those who she had seen prior. He had dark hair, eyes the color of bourbon, and a smile that would make any young girl fall head over heels for him. Evangeline knew the pretty face was just a mask for the wickedness that lurked within his very soul. It was something all serial killers had in common, it seemed.

“No matter, soon I will have the most feared mayor of the Commonwealth begging on his knees,” he said, with a smile so wicked she feared what the man in front of her had in mind. “And then—then my men and I will be living a life of luxury. While you, my dear, all you have to do is play the part.”

Evangeline wasn’t quite sure what part she would be playing in this wicked game of his but knew that it was nothing without consequence. The fact that they were using her as bait to lure Hancock into their trap is what unsettled her the most. She knew that she would never forgive herself if any harm became of him. If it weren’t for the gag—Evangeline would scream, warn Hancock that it’s all a trap, and leave while he still can.

He leaned over so that his face was mere inches from hers, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath upon her face. “Now, I’m going to remove this here, and I want that mouth of yours kept shut unless told otherwise,” he ordered, while removing the gag from her mouth. “don’t want to ruin more of that pretty face of yours now do we?”

To think that Evangeline would listen to someone such as himself would be foolish. Once the gag had been removed from her mouth, she screamed. She screamed as loud as her vocal cords would allow it. So loud that it was almost deafening.

“HANCOCK RUN! IT'S A TRA—” Evangeline yelled, before being silenced. He had struck her across the jaw, which, of course, was to be expected as she had disobeyed him. She could taste blood within her mouth soon after the blow to the face, which now throbbed with pain and would most likely bruise later. _He would pay for that,_ she vowed. Evangeline gave him her most menacing look in hopes of putting a little fear in the bastard who stood before her.

“What did I tell you about that mouth of yours?” he scolded her as if she were some child. “Did I not tell you there would be consequences if you didn’t keep it shut?”

“Get fucked you piece of shit,” Evangeline snarled.

He blinked in surprise from the outburst but quickly recovered. The image almost made Evangeline burst out laughing. To think that a dangerous man such as himself couldn’t comprehend such vulgar words coming out of a woman's mouth. It was pathetic. Evangeline figured he would squirm if he were to hear some of the things she and Hancock talked about. She almost smiled at the thought.

Her captor opened his mouth as if to say something but was instead interrupted by a knocking at the door. Evangeline figured it was one his goons coming to report to him. However, a dark thought crept up on her, though. What if they came in dragging Hancock behind them? Whether it be unconscious or— Evangeline shook her head. He was alive, unharmed, and out of their hands. She had to believe that much, at least.

“What is it?” the man in charge questioned in a commanding tone. For a brief second, Evangeline swore she saw a flash of irritation cross his face for the interruption. Though, she was quite thankful for the distraction, as it may be her one chance to figure out an escape plan.

“S-sorry for the interruption boss,” said a familiar voice. “But we have—we have a bit of a problem.”

Looking over to where the voice came from, Evangeline realized it was the same raider who had discovered her earlier—Tommy was his name. She noticed that the prideful demeanor he wore before had vanished, and in its place was the one of a coward.

“ _Well?”_ her captor asked, obviously irritated by the man who cowered before him. “What sort of problem is it? Speak!”

Tommy—the raider who had first found her, noticed Evangeline tied to the chair. It was apparent that he was afraid of him—for obvious reasons.

“W-we found the bodies of Jimmy and Davies…” Tommy began speaking, unable to hide the quiver in his voice. “Th-their throats were slit, boss.”

The mysterious man looked back at Evangeline, a menacing smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

She felt nauseous.

“He knows we have her then, _good_ ,” he said, with an eerie calmness which caused Evangeline to shudder. “Tell the men to stay on alert, and whatever you do… don’t kill him. We need him alive if we are to live like kings.”

“Y-you got it, boss,” Tommy answered, before exiting out of the room.

Evangeline watched as her captor walked over to the desk, the very same one she noticed when she had first awoken, she saw him pick up something that looked similar to a mic. It almost looked like one that was used for an intercom.

He began pacing about the room as he spoke into the mic. “Hancock! My old _friend…”_

_Old friend?_

That had taken Evangeline by surprise, no doubt. She figured this man was someone Hancock might have crossed long ago, but an old friend? That was something she did not expect. Obviously, they had some sort of falling out if he now wanted to get back at him, but what was it? She had so many questions but was partly afraid to know the answers.

“I had not forgotten what you did… what you _took_ from me,” the mysterious man said, his voice filled with a calm, but noticeable anger. “and now… well, I took something of yours, and unless you wish to see your little _pet_ again, you better give me what I want.”

 _He’s baiting him,_ she realized. It was all an empty threat, something that would get Hancock to surrender to him. It won’t work though, or so she hoped. She prayed that he would be able to see through this bastard’s lies… or else things were going to get much, much worse for the both of them. Evangeline wished she wasn’t tied to this damn chair. It would make things much easier if things got messy—and right now, she would be incapable of lending a helping hand.

“…Don’t worry, though, Hancock,” he continued, making his way towards Evangeline, stopping only inches away from her. “She’s completely unharmed… well, mostly. It was well deserved, though, ain’t that right?”

“Go fuck yourself, you psychotic bastard,” Evangeline snapped not caring about the consequences that would sin follow. “Hanock, if you can hear me—”

He struck her twice this time, _hard._

The first blow was nothing compared to this one, as it was only a warning. Evangeline felt as blood trickled down her nose, tasting it on her lips. She spat out a mouthful of it at his feet, causing him to jump back in fear of getting it on his expensive attire. If it weren’t for the pain that laced through her jaw, she would have laughed at the sight of it.

“I don’t know where you found this one, Hancock,” he said, anger lacing his tone. “but that mouth of hers needs attending to… perhaps I should just cut out her tongue? Would you like that, you _bitch_?”

“Fuck. You. Asshole,” she said, enunciating her words slowly.

Quick enough, he had his hand wrapped out her throat, squeezing ever so tightly. It was just enough to make it hard to breathe, but not enough to kill her. He wanted her alive after all, or else he would no longer have leverage over Hancock. Evangeline tried not to struggle against his grasp. However, it was hard not to when the lack of oxygen was practically unbearable.

“You got one hour, you hear me?” the mysterious man said into the mic, before suddenly releasing his grip on her throat. “Or else your little _bitch_ here is going to need more than a few stimpaks when I’m done with her.”

Evangeline didn’t want to admit to it, but she was fucking terrified. She realized his calm demeanor was only just a facade while hiding the real monster that lurked deep within, just waiting to come out. She felt the thundering of her heart, it was beating so hard that Evangeline feared it may actually burst from its cavity and onto the floor. A part of her actually wondered how he would react to that if it did occur. She almost laughed at the thought. Almost.

After the mysterious man set the mic back on the desk, he sat on the edge of it while crossing his ankles and placing his hands inside his pockets. Evangeline realized then, that he was studying her. She wondered if he was trying to piece together the history she and Hancock had since the two were quite the strange pair… all things considered. However, it seemed she wasn’t the only one who wanted answers.

Finally, no longer able to handle the unbearable silence, Evangeline decided to speak first.

“So, what the fuck is your deal with Hancock?” she asked, ignoring the glare he threw her way. “Obviously, you two had a falling out at some point, so what the hell happened?”

There was a silence before he eventually spoke, probably wondering how many details he wished to bring to the light. “Before he became that disgusting… _thing,_ we were quite the team. It was my idea to form a militia to end Vic’s reign, you know. It was _me_ who lead them, and _me_ who delivered the final blow.”

Evangeline watched as he began pacing the room while he spoke, obviously angered by the resurfaced memories. She recalled Hancock telling her about this. Vic— who used to be the one in charge of Goodneighbor long ago. He had been ruthless, she remembered him saying. Allowing his men to have their way with the innocent drifters, whether it was beatings or rape, it didn’t matter to him. Vic was the one in charge after all, and everyone was too terrified of him to go against the tyrant. Those that did…

“It should have been _me_ that was chosen to lead Goodneighbor. Not that _freak,”_ he continued, curling his lip in disgust at the last word. “Instead, they chose _him._ All he did was get high out of his damn mind and then play dress up! He _took_ what was rightfully mine, and I want it back.”

“So… you’re pissed at Hancock because the people chose him over you, correct? And this entire situation is so you can have Goodneighbor?”

“ _Yes!_ ”

“You do realize that is basically what democracy is, right? Where the people get to choose who they want as their leader…”

All of a sudden, he stopped, turning to face her. Evangeline saw the anger flash in his eyes, the calm composure was now gone, and in its place was that of a rabid animal. It was at that moment that she realized she was in deep shit and that her mouth had gotten her in trouble once again.

“Lies! They should have chosen _me!_ ” he snarled. “It’s _me_ that they deserve, someone strong and able to lead. Not some _freak_ who could turn feral any minute!”

Evangeline grew tired of hearing his bigotry bullshit. _If he calls him a freak one more time…_

Before her thought could continue any further, she heard the racking of a shotgun from across the room. Evangeline looked over to where the sound came from and—her breath caught. In the middle of the opened doorway, she saw a familiar silhouette. Seeing the outline of his tricorn hat brought a wave of relief rushing through her. With all the ranting the psychotic bastard had been doing, she had not heard the door being open, or the now lifeless body being thrown onto the floor.

_He’s alive…_

Evangeline bit her bottom lip, so not to give Hancock away since her captor had not noticed his presence yet. It appeared he was still far too busy going on about how he deserved Goodneighbor and that he was cheated by Hancock during the aftermath of overthrowing Vic. He also wouldn’t stop complaining about Hancock… again calling him a freak, a disgrace, someone who would only bring nothing but disaster to the place, etc., etc.

“If I didn’t know any better, Ronnie, it sounds like you might be in love with me. Hell, you can’t even go five words without saying my name,” Hancock said, aiming his shotgun at the mysterious man—whose name was Ronnie. “Now, if you don’t mind, let her go, and we can talk like adults… ya dig?”

Ronnie spun on his heel, surprised by the sound of Hancock's voice. “ _Hancock…_ you cheating bastard! You don’t get to decide on how things should go from here.”

“I hate to break to ya, but I’m the one with the shotgun aimed at ya,” Hancock said in a matter of fact way. “So do us all a favor and just step aside.”

“ _Step aside?_ Oh no, no… it is _you_ who should be stepping aside,” Ronnie said, not backing down. “Goodneighbor is mine by right, and you _stole_ it from me.”

Evangeline watched as the two conversed with one other, but kept a keen eye on Hancock’s old acquaintance. He had lost control of his mindset and was now set in pure revenge—no matter the cost. In her past life, she had dealt with men like him, many of whom were serial killers, during her time as a homicide detective. At first, they keep a calm collective so that they don’t seem insane, and it was easier to let their prey fall into their hands. All it took, however, was something to trigger that fuse that makes them lose complete control—you just had to figure out what it was. In this case, it was the fact that the people ‘wrongfully’ chose Hancock over him.

“Ronnie, you know damn well I didn’t steal shit from you,” Hancock reminded him. “The people chose me as their new Mayor, and that’s the end of it. So _please,_ would you just… let her go before I do something I might regret.”

That’s when everything went to hell.

One moment, Ronnie was standing a few paces from her while his back was facing her. Next thing, Evangeline felt the cold steel pressed hard against her throat. In all her years as a detective, she had never seen someone move as quickly as he did at that moment. She looked over to where Hancock stood, his face a mixture of surprise, confusion, and concern. _He doesn’t know what to do,_ Evangeline realized grimly. _If Hancock shoots him, then it’s at the possibility of shooting me as well… and if he doesn’t—_

She felt a slight trickle of blood run down her neck from where the blade had nicked her. Her mind raced, trying to think of something—anything to give them the higher ground. However, nothing seemed to be worth the risk, and the only thing that she knew for sure would work… well, Evangeline knew Hancock would never agree to. _He would never harm me, not even if I told him to do so._

Evangeline saw Hancock take a few steps before something caused him to stop in his tracks. “One more step, Hancock, and I’ll slice her throat as you did to my men. You wouldn’t want that now, would you? She’s far to pretty to be maimed in such a way, let alone to be with someone like you _._ Isn’t that right, my dear?”

Her skin crawled as she felt Ronnie’s breath on her skin. His lips brushed lightly over her right cheek and then her ear while using his other hand to grope her in inappropriate places. Evangeline felt sick in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to disappear but knew it was foolish to wish for things that would never come true. Instead, she closed her eyes and imagined she was somewhere else—somewhere nice, perhaps?

“Get your filthy fucking hands off her!” she heard Hancock yell across the room. “This is between you and me, Ronnie, ya hear? She has _nothing_ to do. with this, so just let her go!”

Ronnie gave a low chuckle. “But you’re wrong, Hancock, as always. _You’re fucking wrong._ You see—you took the one thing I wanted, so why not repay the favor? An eye for an eye as they used to say.”

“Don’t you _fucking_ dare,” Hancock growled. “Don’t you dare harm her or I’ll… I’ll...”

Evangeline heard a _clang_ as he dropped the shotgun he was holding. She opened her eyes, only to see Hancock fall to his knees in defeat.

_No, no, no…_

She needed to think of something—anything to turn the tables, but what? It wasn’t like she could be of any use. She was still tied to a fucking chair. Instead, Evangeline quickly looked around to see if anything could be of use—then it dawned on her. _The chair…_ It was already old and on borrowed time. If somehow she could smash the chair and break free, then that would be enough. However, Evangeline needed to incapacitate that bastard first.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Hancock’s old acquaintance said mockingly, before finally releasing the blade from her throat. “For someone who’s feared by all, you have become _weak…_ a _disgrace._ You don’t deserve Goodneighbor since you're obviously not strong enough to be in charge of it.”

Evangeline waited until Ronnie’s face was behind her before she used all the force she could muster and headbutted him with the back of her skull. The brunt of the blow caused him to drop his knife as she heard it clatter on the wooden boards, while it also caused the chair she was tied to, to fall backward and break apart due to the impact.

“You _bitch!_ ” she heard Ronnie yell, noticing a slight change in the octane of his voice. “You’re going to pay for that!”

For a moment, she took her attention away from him as she untangled herself from rope and broken pieces of the chair. Unfortunately, Evangeline realized that her hands and feet were still bound together. Quickly and surely, she searched for the knife that had fallen moments prior, before grabbing it and using it to cut at the rope around her wrists. She knew there wasn’t much time to be wasted and was going as fast as she could. Evangeline caught a glimpse of her captor as she cut the rope around her wrists. She noticed that he was slightly bent over, while his hand covered his face. If she didn’t know any better, Evangeline assumed that the blow had also broken his nose—or at least caused it to bleed.

“C’mon… c’mon! Hurry up, goddamnit!”

The knife, to Evangeline’s dismay, was rather dull when it came to cutting the thick rope, as it was taking far too long to cut through. She didn’t want to admit to it, but she was scared—terrified even. It wouldn’t be long before Ronnie came back to his senses and retaliated against her for what she did to his face. Evangeline knew she had been through far worse than this, but all those other times, it was just her life lying on the line. This time, however, the life of someone she cared about—someone who meant the world to her was at stake now, and there was no way in hell she would allow any harm come to them.

“Just a little—”

Without warning, she took a full blow to the back of the head—not enough to drive her unconscious, but enough to cause everything to become a blur. Soon after, she took a kick to the ribs and then another. A series of neverending blows sent pure agony coursing through her body, causing her to scream from the pain. Tears began streaming down her face, begging for him to stop in between sobs. She wanted it all to end… _all of it_. The pain was far too much for her to handle, and it was next to impossible to breathe, let alone speak.

“You think you could get away with _THIS?”_ Ronnie screamed as he pointed to his face, kicking her harder. “You’re going to pay for what you did, you little whore, _DO YOU UNDERSTAND?_ YOU’RE GOING TO _FUCKING_ PAY! _”_

There was no way of shielding herself from the blows, Evangeline knew that to her regret. Her hands were still bound, and she had dropped the knife due to the impact of the first blow to the head. A part of her just wanted to give up—to just lay there and take it all in. Everything around her was spinning, and she knew that she was slowly losing consciousness due to the invigorating pain.

Suddenly a shot rang throughout the room, while seconds later, she heard a piercing scream.

“Get the _fuck_ away from her… _now!”_

It took Evangeline sometime before realizing the voice belonged to none other than…

_Hancock…_

In all the mass confusion, she had forgotten about him. Hearing his voice, however, felt as if a wave of relief hit her.

 _“_ You… you fucking shot me! You… you goddamn _feral freak!”_ Ronnie said, while in agony. “You’re going to pay for that… I’m going to make sure of that.”

Evangeline could hear him struggling to stay afoot, so she figured Hancock had shot him in the leg. _Good,_ she thought without remorse. She wasn’t about to sympathize with the bastard that had not only tried to undermine Hancock but had also done _this_ to her as well.

“I could’ve done far worse to you if I wanted to. Remember that next time you decide to _fuck_ with me,” Hancock said, pure anger lacing through his voice. “Heh. You’re not going to make _anyone_ pay, because you’re done, Ronnie. Ya hear me?”

“What? Are you going to kill me now? Is that it?” he asked. “Everyone’s right about your _kind,_ you know that? All that anger… aren’t you afraid of becoming one of _them?_ You know, a _feral?_ You’re practically brethren, and each passing second, you’re just one step closing to becoming a mindless fr—"

She heard a sickening crunch, followed by a loud thump from something large hitting the floor. Suddenly, Evangeline felt a pair of hands on her, but before she could put up a struggle, she saw that it was Hancock as he carefully rolled her over onto her back. A rush of emotions came coursing through her as her eyes laid upon his face—that ugly mug of his, one that she could never grow tired of. Evangeline saw the mask of concern that fell over him as he examined her injuries.

“Hancock…” she managed as a smile formed at the corners of her mouth. “You came back for me… I-I didn’t think you would come for me.”

“I would never abandon you, Evie,” Hancock reassured her, cutting the bonds on her wrist.“You know that I would fight through hell itself so that I could return to you.”

Evangeline slowly moved to sit up, which made it easier with Hancock’s help. Rubbing at her wrists, which were now raw from rope burn, she was thankful for the fact that he always stayed true to his word—no matter what it may be, and for that reason alone, Evangeline loved him.

She looked over to where Ronnie now lay, motionless.

“Is he…?” Evangeline asked, unable to finish the question.

Following her gaze, Hancock shook his head. “No, although the bastard deserves it. I wanted him to live, to make sure he remembers next time what happens when someone crosses me…”

Looking up at him, she knew there was more to it than that. It was what he had said earlier, and it bothered him… as it always did. Turning feral—it was one of his deepest fears, while the other was losing her. Both of which caused him to have horrible dreams on occasion.

“He’s wrong, you know,” Evangeline reassured him as she lay her head upon his shoulder. “You’re not going to turn into one of them.”

“How can you be so sure, Evie?” he asked, voice cracking. “It’s happened before, you know. Like what happened in Diamond City…”

“I know what happened, Hancock,” she answered, not unkindly. “You are a good person Hancock, and I know you would fight like hell before that would ever happen to you. And… you have me, for what it’s worth.”

“Heh. I would’ve never dreamed of being considered a good person, ya know. I’ve done a lot of bad things, some of which I ain’t proud of,” Hancock said, wrapping his arm around her, careful not to hurt her. “But… maybe you’re right, and just so you know—you’re worth more than a thousand mentats, Evie.”

Evangeline smiled, before kissing him. “Good, now how about we get out of this shithole? I don’t know how much longer I can stand being here.”

“Yeah… I feel ya there,” Hancock replied, wearily. “You good? Or do I need to carry ya?”

“I… I’ll manage,” Evangeline said, wincing a little as she got to her feet. “A little help would be nice, though.”

Hancock wrapped his arm around Evangeline’s waist to support her as she leaned into him. Once they reached the doorway, he stopped and looked back to where his old friend lay one last time. Evangeline squeezed his arm reassuringly, letting him know that she was there for him if need be. Finally, slowly but surely, the two of them continued on down the stairs and out the door while leaving the events that occurred here behind them for good.


End file.
